Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between bullying in migrants and Australians and types of workplace Iso-strain, by gender. DESIGN AND SETTING: Two descriptive cross-sectional surveys of the Australian working population. PARTICIPANTS: Australian-born workers of...

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Main Authors: Reid, Alison, Daly, Alison, LaMontagne, A.D., Milner, A., Ronda Pérez, E.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100660
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90930
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author Reid, Alison
Daly, Alison
LaMontagne, A.D.
Milner, A.
Ronda Pérez, E.
author_facet Reid, Alison
Daly, Alison
LaMontagne, A.D.
Milner, A.
Ronda Pérez, E.
author_sort Reid, Alison
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between bullying in migrants and Australians and types of workplace Iso-strain, by gender. DESIGN AND SETTING: Two descriptive cross-sectional surveys of the Australian working population. PARTICIPANTS: Australian-born workers of Caucasian ancestry (n=1051, participant response rate=87.3%) and workers born in New Zealand (n=566), India (n=633) and the Philippines (n=431) (participant response rate=79.5%). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES MEASURES: Using logistic regression, we examined whether self-reported assessment of various forms of bullying in the workplace was associated with Iso-strain (job with high demands and low control and without social support), gender and migrant status. RESULTS: The prevalence of workplace bullying within the previous year was 14.5%. Sexual harassment, though rare (n=47, 1.8%), was reported by more women than men (83% vs 17%, χ2=19.3, p<0.0001) and more Australia or New Zealand born workers compared to India or the Philippines workers (75.5% vs 25.5%, χ2=4.6, p=0.032). Indian-born women had lower adjusted OR for being bullied and for being intimidated compared to other women. Independent of migrant status, Iso-strain (1), (low support from boss) and Iso-strain (2), (low support from colleagues) predicted being bullied. Women were more likely to be in an Iso-strain (1) job than men (18.7% vs 13.6%, p=0.013) and had twice the risk of being both verbally abused and intimidated compared to men (OR 9 vs OR 5.5, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Workplace bullying was more likely for women than men. There were few differences between workers from different migrant groups. Iso-strain was the strongest predictor of workplace bullying. Workplaces should encourage supportive and collegiate work environments.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-909302024-04-19T08:40:10Z Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference? Reid, Alison Daly, Alison LaMontagne, A.D. Milner, A. Ronda Pérez, E. Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal General & Internal Medicine JOB DEMANDS PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT PUBLIC-SECTOR RISK-FACTORS ISO-STRAIN HARASSMENT STRESS MODEL EXPOSURE WOMEN bullying epidemiology migrants occupational & industrial medicine public health Adult Australia Bullying Cross-Sectional Studies Female Humans Male Middle Aged Occupational Stress Self Report Sex Factors Social Support Transients and Migrants White People Workplace Humans Cross-Sectional Studies Sex Factors Social Support Adult Middle Aged Transients and Migrants Workplace Australia Female Male Self Report Bullying Occupational Stress White People OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between bullying in migrants and Australians and types of workplace Iso-strain, by gender. DESIGN AND SETTING: Two descriptive cross-sectional surveys of the Australian working population. PARTICIPANTS: Australian-born workers of Caucasian ancestry (n=1051, participant response rate=87.3%) and workers born in New Zealand (n=566), India (n=633) and the Philippines (n=431) (participant response rate=79.5%). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES MEASURES: Using logistic regression, we examined whether self-reported assessment of various forms of bullying in the workplace was associated with Iso-strain (job with high demands and low control and without social support), gender and migrant status. RESULTS: The prevalence of workplace bullying within the previous year was 14.5%. Sexual harassment, though rare (n=47, 1.8%), was reported by more women than men (83% vs 17%, χ2=19.3, p<0.0001) and more Australia or New Zealand born workers compared to India or the Philippines workers (75.5% vs 25.5%, χ2=4.6, p=0.032). Indian-born women had lower adjusted OR for being bullied and for being intimidated compared to other women. Independent of migrant status, Iso-strain (1), (low support from boss) and Iso-strain (2), (low support from colleagues) predicted being bullied. Women were more likely to be in an Iso-strain (1) job than men (18.7% vs 13.6%, p=0.013) and had twice the risk of being both verbally abused and intimidated compared to men (OR 9 vs OR 5.5, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Workplace bullying was more likely for women than men. There were few differences between workers from different migrant groups. Iso-strain was the strongest predictor of workplace bullying. Workplaces should encourage supportive and collegiate work environments. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90930 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033652 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100660 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP fulltext
spellingShingle Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Medicine, General & Internal
General & Internal Medicine
JOB DEMANDS
PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT
PUBLIC-SECTOR
RISK-FACTORS
ISO-STRAIN
HARASSMENT
STRESS
MODEL
EXPOSURE
WOMEN
bullying
epidemiology
migrants
occupational & industrial medicine
public health
Adult
Australia
Bullying
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Occupational Stress
Self Report
Sex Factors
Social Support
Transients and Migrants
White People
Workplace
Humans
Cross-Sectional Studies
Sex Factors
Social Support
Adult
Middle Aged
Transients and Migrants
Workplace
Australia
Female
Male
Self Report
Bullying
Occupational Stress
White People
Reid, Alison
Daly, Alison
LaMontagne, A.D.
Milner, A.
Ronda Pérez, E.
Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
title Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
title_full Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
title_fullStr Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
title_full_unstemmed Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
title_short Descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and Australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
title_sort descriptive study of workplace demand, control and bullying among migrant and australian-born workers by gender: does workplace support make a difference?
topic Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Medicine, General & Internal
General & Internal Medicine
JOB DEMANDS
PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT
PUBLIC-SECTOR
RISK-FACTORS
ISO-STRAIN
HARASSMENT
STRESS
MODEL
EXPOSURE
WOMEN
bullying
epidemiology
migrants
occupational & industrial medicine
public health
Adult
Australia
Bullying
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Occupational Stress
Self Report
Sex Factors
Social Support
Transients and Migrants
White People
Workplace
Humans
Cross-Sectional Studies
Sex Factors
Social Support
Adult
Middle Aged
Transients and Migrants
Workplace
Australia
Female
Male
Self Report
Bullying
Occupational Stress
White People
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100660
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90930